Packet Newbie
 

I'm a no-good knuckle-dragging no-coder, as the tech-class is referred
to on these groups. I've had my license for exactly a month now, and
I'm starting to explore some of the interesting modes one can work
with a PC sound card. I have the speaker output of my rig linked to
the line-in on a dedicated pc via an isolation transformer, and today
I tuned around until I found some packet activity. It was not at all
what I would have expected. People weren't really communicating, as
much as broadcasting the same line of text over and over again.
Several were just sending NMEA data (not actual APRS packets),
presumably for some kind of position reporting system. There seems to
be about four times as many people on that one packet channel as there
are on voice throughout the entire 2-meter band.

Could someone:
Give me a brief intro to the procedures, protocol and etiquette of
packet radio?
Explain how contacts are made and confirmed?
Recommend frequencies/times to join in, and software to use (right now
I'm using UISS)

Thanks, and please don't flame me-- I promise I'll upgrade to general
soon!
-Greg KG6SGY